Weekly Newsletter	Tuesday 5th May 2015

We've loads of news and features for you this week, so here we go...

Latest Comedy News

Red Dwarf to return to Dave for two new series Channel Dave has confirmed it has ordered two new series of cult sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf, to air in 2016 and 2017. Read UKIP reported Have I Got News For You to the police UKIP says comments made about Nigel Farage on Have I Got News For You may hinder his chances of electoral success, thus breaking election broadcasting laws. Read Peter Kay's Car Share streamed 2.8m times on iPlayer New sitcom Peter Kay's Car Share broke a BBC record, with the show streamed 2.8m times on iPlayer ahead of its TV debut. Read Marc Wootton and Kayvan Novak to voice Counterfeit Cat Counterfeit Cat, a new animated comedy series for children's channel Disney XD, will feature the vocal talents of Marc Wootton and Kayvan Novak. Read Channel Dave orders Series 2 of Hoff The Record Channel Dave has ordered a second series of David Hasselhoff mockumentary Hoff The Record before the first has even been broadcast. Read Kayvan Novak to make The Celebrity Voicemail Show Fonejacker star Kayvan Novak is making The Celebrity Voicemail Show, a comedy series for Radio 4 that imagines the answerphone messages of the rich and famous. Read Ventriloquist Keith Harris dies aged 67 Comedy entertainer Keith Harris, best known for his ventriloquist performances with his puppet Orville, died last week aged 67. Read Sandi Toksvig to quit The News Quiz Sandi Toksvig has announced she is to step down as host of The News Quiz, the Radio 4 panel show she has helmed since 2006, to set up a political party. Read

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Features

Pub Landlord election interview We speak to the Pub Landlord - who looks quite like character comedian Al Murray - to talk about his bid to become an MP this Thursday. Read David Mitchell interview David Mitchell talks about comedy and politics, as he prepares to co-host Channel 4's Alternative Election Night on Thursday. We also have an interview with Jeremy Paxman here. Read No Offence interviews A chat with the people behind No Offence, Channel 4's new police-based comedy drama. Creator Paul Abbott introduces the series, we've interviews with the cast, and more: Read Reginald D Hunter interview Reginald D Hunter is off on a tour of the UK. In this interview he talks about contrived outrage and why he likes British audiences better than American ones. Read. We also have a chance to win a couple of tickets: Enter Tom Davis interview We talk to comedian Tom Davis as his acting career blossoms, ahead of the start of new BBC Three improvised comedy series Murder In Successville. Read Maddy Anholt: Want to date a comedian? Comedian Maddy Anholt has teamed up with dating website MySingleFriend.com and crowd-funding platform IndieGoGo to pay for her 2015 Fringe show. Here she explains all about it, and how you could take her out on a date in Scotland's capital. Read Top comedians announced for Hyde Park gigs in June Rich Hall, Jim Jefferies, Ed Byrne and Ardal O'Hanlon are amongst the comedians who will be appearing at the Barclaycard British Summer Time Hyde Park gigs in London on the 18th - 28th June 2015. Read Steve Pemberton interview Steve Pemberton discusses the reaction to the second series of Inside No. 9 and his hopes for a third series. Read Foil, Arms and Hog: Britain from an Irish Perspective Irish comedy trio Foil, Arms and Hog are about to tour Britain. They list out five cultural differences they've noticed between the two countries. Read Podcasts There's lots to listen to in our Podcasts area. For example political panel show No Pressure To Be Funny has guests including Jo Brand; Stuart Goldsmith chats to The Midnight Beast; and Richard Herring talks backstage on his tour. Listen

TV Listings

Here is a guide to the new British comedy on TV the rest of this week... No Offence Tuesday, Channel 4, 9pm This new comedy drama from Shameless writer Paul Abbott starts tonight. It follows a team of police officers in Manchester who are battling to keep the streets safe. Guide Ballot Monkeys Tuesday & Wednesday, Channel 4, 10pm Tonight and tomorrow sees the final two episodes of this highly topical sitcom go out. As it's still being written, we can't tell you what will happen, but it's definitely worth tuning in for. Guide Nick Helm's Heavy Entertainment Tuesday, BBC Three, 10:30pm You may have seen the pilot a couple of years ago on iPlayer... well, here's the series. It's a stand-up show starring Nick Helm, but with behind-the-scenes bits and more. See our guide for an exclusive clip introduced by the star. Guide Newzoids Wednesday, ITV, 9pm One day before the election, it's the last chance for ITV's satircial puppets to attempt to adjust your opinion on various political figures. Cameron, Clegg, Miliband and Farage will all be featured. Guide Charlie Brooker's Election Wipe Wednesday, BBC Two, 9pm In a one-hour special, Charlie Brooker and the rest of the Wipe team look at how the press have covered the general election and how the politicians have behaved over the campaign. Guide Car Share Wednesday, BBC One, 9:30pm The third episode of the sitcom starring Peter Kay - will it manage to keep the 5m viewers who tuned in last week? Kayleigh is running late but John is determined to get to work on time. Guide The Delivery Man Wednesday, ITV, 9:30pm The midwife sitcom continues - but with the BBC delivering big shows, it's got a lot to cope with this time. A celebrity patient comes in as an emergency and confides in Matthew. Guide You, Me & Them Wednesday, Gold, 10pm Debs is upset when her dad Clive gives Lauren five grand towards her upcoming wedding to Ed. Meanwhile in a bid to kick-start his love life Alan's alternative date shows great potential. Guide Murder In Successville Wednesday, BBC Three, 10pm One day, so much comedy! Try and make time for this though... it's a rather unique, improvised comedy format that looks like it could become a hit. It's hard to explain, so see our guide for more information. Guide Russell Howard's Stand Up Central Wednesday, Comedy Central, 10pm Russell Howard talks about the ridiculousness of homophobia, answers a question on bullying, and sniffs the audience. His guests are Rob Delaney and Tiff Stevenson. Guide Bugsplat! Wednesday, Channel 4, 10:30pm A sitcom pilot about a team who fly drone planes in Afghanistan. It's written by Outnumbered and Ballot Monkeys co-creator Guy Jenkin. See our guide for more information. Guide Channel 4's Alternative Election Night Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm It's a big day for British politics. Who knows what's going to happen? No one yet. For the answers, tune in as Jeremy Paxman, David Mitchell and a team of comedians bring the results and try to explain what's going on. They'll be live until 6am (yes, really). The Last Leg will also feature as part of the evening. Guide Celebrity Juice Thursday, ITV2, 10pm Not political? Then join Keith Lemon, Fearne Cotton, Holly Willoughby and Gino D'Acampo instead, as they welcome singer Ella Eyre, TV presenter Emma Willis and comedian Chris Ramsey to the show. Guide W1A Thursday, BBC Two, 10pm More politics here - but of the office variety. Former head of output Anna Rampton has been crowned Director of Better. No-one on the management team is quite clear what the job entails. Guide Dave's Election Night Special Thursday, Dave, 10pm As soon as the polls close (and thus various broadcasting impartiality rules are relaxed) Dave will broadcast a one-off documentary about Al Murray (as The Pub Landlord) campaigning against Nigel Farage to become an MP. Guide Have I Got News For You Friday, BBC One, 9:30pm An election special. Guest host Jo Brand is joined by Ian, Paul and Romesh Ranganathan to look at the winners and losers. This will be recorded early on Friday morning so the team will know how the seats in the House are distributed. Guide Alan Carr: Chatty Man Friday, Channel 4, 10pm Alan Carr is joined by Hollywood star Anna Kendrick who drops in to chat about her new movie Pitch Perfect 2, and music comes from Clean Bandit, who perform their latest single Stronger. Guide The Graham Norton Show Friday, BBC One, 10:35pm Miranda Hart, moving from sitcom star to Hollywood actress in the action comedy Spy; joins Graham. Also on the sofa are Greg Davies, Rupert Everett, and UK Eurovision hopefuls Electro Velvet. Guide Play To The Whistle Saturday, ITV, 9:15pm The regulars on the sporting panel show are joined by former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, comedian Bob Mortimer and Emmerdale star Natalie Anderson. Guide Celebrity Squares Sunday, ITV, 7:15pm Warwick is joined by Jonathan Ross, Gabby Logan, Laura Whitmore, Tony Law, Nina Conti, Shappi Khorsandi, boy band Union J and resident comedians Tim Vine and Joe Wilkinson. Guide Sunday Night At The Palladium Sunday, ITV, 8pm Alexander Armstrong introduces performances from Lee Nelson and Rod Woodward. There's also US singers Josh Groban and Meghan Trainor, the cast of West End musical The Commitments, violinist and conductor Andre Rieu, and award-winning US dance crew AAC Boys. Guide For a complete list of broadcasts, including repeats and radio comedy, see our full schedule.

New Products

W1A - The Complete Series 1 And 2 PRE-ORDER. Join Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Hynes, Jason Watkins and co for the complete Series 1 and 2 box set of this BBC Two satire about office politics and the BBC itself. Following on from Twenty Twelve, Ian Fletcher and Siobhan Sharpe are now working for the broadcaster, and for Ian in particular it's quite the struggle through madness and bureaucracy in HQ, postcode W1A. Details The House That Jack Built - The Complete Series OUT NOW. Pop icon Adam Faith and ex-EastEnder Gillian Taylforth star in this sitcom chronicling the life of a wealthy property developer who dreams of nothing less than a family dynasty - even if his benevolent dictatorship isn't always appreciated. Details The Keith Lemon Sketch Show PRE-ORDER. A fast-paced sketch show in which Keith Lemon affectionately spoofs the world of TV, film and famous faces. Featuring One Direction, Holly Willougby and Kim Kardashian as you've never seen them before. Guests throughout the series include Paddy McGuinness, Carrie Fisher, Jonathan Ross, Fearne Cotton and many others. Ahead of Series 2, this first series is out next month. Details Splitting Heirs OUT NOW. From Monty Python alumnus Eric Idle comes a madcap case of mistaken identity in the British aristocracy. Idle writes and stars, alongside Rick Moranis, Barbara Hershey, Catherine Zeta-Jones and John Cleese in this romp that the Los Angeles Times dubbed "irreverent, fun to watch... a killer!" This is the first time the early 1990s comedy has been available on DVD in the UK. Details Roald Dahl's Esio Trot OUT NOW. Mr Hoppy (Dustin Hoffman) lives a quiet retiree's life, tending to his balcony garden, pottering to the shops and back and secretly being passionately, hopelessly in love with his downstairs neighbour, Mrs Silver (Judi Dench). From their first meeting in a cramped lift he is utterly captivated by her, and hopes to win her heart when he thinks he has the chance. Details For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.

Comedy Videos

Absolutely Anything - Trailer The trailer for the new film starring Simon Pegg, directed by Terry Jones. It follows a disillusioned school teacher who suddenly finds he has the ability to do anything he wishes. The Monty Python boys voice the power-crazed aliens behind his new powers. Watch Shaun the Sheep: Holidays at Home are GREAT! Shaun has teamed up with VisitEngland to show that holidays in the UK are baa-rilliant! Take a look at this video and see if you can guess where Shaun and the flock have visited! Watch Do Not Adjust Your Set - Excerpts Some excerpts from the previously presumed lost episode of Do Not Adjust Your Set Episode 4. Watch Vicious - Series 2 Trailer A trailer for the second series of Vicious, starring Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Derek Jacobi and Frances de la Tour. It's coming soon to ITV. Watch Episodes - Series 4 Trailer Bev, Sean and Matt LeBlanc return to 'sitcom hell' next week, as Episodes returns to the BBC. Here's the trailer. Watch

Guide Spotlight

Lollipop Loves Mr. Mole Jimmy Perry is (rightly!) best known as the creator and co-writer of timeless sitcom classic Dad's Army. What you may not know, however, is that he also penned a number of sitcoms alone, including Room Service and this 1971-2 ITV sitcom, Lollipop Loves Mr. Mole. Of 14 episodes produced, sadly only 2 now survive, but they're both lots of fun and available on DVD. It stars late comedy greats Hugh Lloyd and Peggy Mount, the latter of whose 100th birthday was on Saturday. Guide

Thanks for Reading

The Monster Raving Loony Party have proposed to ban all forms of Greyhound racing to help stop the country going to the dogs. If you're a British citizen don't forget to vote on Thursday - maybe not necessarily for them, but make sure you have your say. Russell Brand is wrong - it's important to vote! If you don't, you can't moan if the country does indeed go to the dogs on Friday! The British Comedy Guide

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